Where in Orbx land and what aircraft are you flying?

[Sniper31]

2 hours ago, Ken Q said:

if you're going to virtually fly somewhere, may as well take a little time and virtually visit.

I agree Ken, that is a great way in which to learn more about where we virtually fly. I sometimes have Wikipedia open on my laptop while flying so I can research POI's, airports and towns on my route as well as my departure and destination. Good stuff!

 

Right now, I am finishing up a flight from YBLN Busselton to YCUN Cunderdin in an A2A T-6 Texan. 

[mikewies]

Sniper, you really touched on an emotional spot for most posters. Its rare to have a post like this get to the 3rd page of posts.

Great topic -- thanks for starting it up. It shows the rich diversity of flight sim, everyone has an interest area and everyone has a story.

Looking through the posts was an interesting time.

[Sizel]

On 26/02/2017 at 1:58 AM, Ken Q said:

I'm still enjoying California.  They say that getting there is half the fun - in Flight Simulator it is probably all of the fun.  I do however, enjoy learning about my virtual destinations.  I will frequently look up a destination on line (Wikipedia is good), and find interesting info on these places.  For example - New Coalinga (C80).  It's a new airport, the old one is still there, right on the edge of town.  The town started as "Coaling Station 'A'" on the WP railroad, later shortened to "Coaling A", and eventually to Coalinga.  Major industry and employer is the local prison.  Another interesting spot is, New Cuyama (L88).  This little town of fewer than 600 was started to house workers for Atlantic Richfield in 1951.  Now that ARCO is gone it is mostly agricultural.  The airport was refurbished in 2015, and of last report has about 40 movements a month.  The only attraction seems to be a burger place that is reputed to have good BBQ.  There are interesting pictures online, including a little video of an overflight and landing at the airport. 

 

Just another way of breathing extra life into our hobby  -if you're going to virtually fly somewhere, may as well take a little time and virtually visit.

 

Ken

 

I've have learned much from places i would never have known about had it not been for good ol'FSX. I like geography anyway so virtual flying adds to it.

[T-Bone]

I had an enjoyable winter flight today up in Alaska.

 

I mimicked a real world flight I found on Flightaware from Anchorage (PANC) to Valdez (PAVD) in my PA-31. It was about 123 nm and took about an hour (block time). I used real weather and it was poor (IMC) conditions out of PANC until I broke through the clouds at 7,000', and then cleared up as I flew south along the coast and followed the channel/valley through Whitter and continued East, then up the Valdez Arm into the Port of Valdez. PAVD has a nice approach as you hug the mountains on the left and you also must fly over a hill on final for RW06. 

[Mickel]

This old chestnut again. 

 

Having completed NWAs continental U.S. routes in the Strat, I went on to do PAAs Shannon-Brussels-Frankfurt and back run.  Not going to do the oceanic leg to Gander...  About to embark upon their Alaskan route from Seattle up to Ketchikan, Juneau and northwards.

 

In P3D I've been flying the Harvard around Northland, NZ, after a bit of Comanche around other parts of the island.

[RHaas]

Mostly Alaska, Western Canada and Pacific Northwest.

Usually fly the DHC-6 Twin Otter

[T-Bone]

Did another flight today in Northern California from KHWD to KMRY. It was a sightseeing flight of about 150 NM and took me about 1.5 hours. I started out doing a loop around the San Francisco Bay passing by KFSO, Candlestick Park, AT & T Park, downtown San Fran, Alcatraz then headed West over the Golden Gate bridge to the Farallon Islands about 20 miles out. After a loop around them it was back to the coast line where I flew south down to Monterey. It's also fairly scenic down that coastline and I have the Orbx KMRY so it's always a joy to fly in and out of there.

[Drizzle]

On 2/25/2017 at 0:58 PM, Ken Q said:

I'm still enjoying California.  They say that getting there is half the fun - in Flight Simulator it is probably all of the fun.  I do however, enjoy learning about my virtual destinations.  I will frequently look up a destination on line (Wikipedia is good), and find interesting info on these places.  For example - New Coalinga (C80).  It's a new airport, the old one is still there, right on the edge of town.  The town started as "Coaling Station 'A'" on the WP railroad, later shortened to "Coaling A", and eventually to Coalinga.  Major industry and employer is the local prison.  Another interesting spot is, New Cuyama (L88).  This little town of fewer than 600 was started to house workers for Atlantic Richfield in 1951.  Now that ARCO is gone it is mostly agricultural.  The airport was refurbished in 2015, and of last report has about 40 movements a month.  The only attraction seems to be a burger place that is reputed to have good BBQ.  There are interesting pictures online, including a little video of an overflight and landing at the airport. 

 

Just another way of breathing extra life into our hobby  -if you're going to virtually fly somewhere, may as well take a little time and virtually visit.

 

Ken

 

 

I really enjoyed that account of the area's history, Ken!  I've driven through Coalinga many times -- had no idea of that story!  What a great idea you have -- exploring the places you're visiting in that way!

 

Sniper, I'm glad you began this thread!  It's a lot of fun!

I live in North Carolina now.  But I grew up all over the West Coast, living in the Napa Valley and the northern Central Valley (not far from Chico) before moving back here nearly a decade and a half ago.  At the beginning of this past winter, I have finally acquired my first real aircraft.  Just a humble ultralight (Phantom X1) for now.  So I'll soon start becoming familiar with some of the area around where I live now...  But, there has been a strong temptation to virtually fly in places I have a broader and deeper familiarity with...  So -- most of the time, I find myself drifting up and down the western half of the U.S.

 

I've got around 5,000 hours on sim accumulated over the past few years.  Mainly because this is what I did because I couldn't (yet) afford a real airplane.  I have more than 80 unique titles of aircraft in my virtual hangar -- from the very nicely rendered Iris A-10 (the real thing having cost me some of my hearing while I was stationed at RAF Woodbridge in England during Desert Storm) to "Heavies".  But what I almost always fly are piston singles, because that is the most/best I have any prayer of ever actually owning someday.  And again, I fly sim because I can't afford the real thing -- or UNTIL I can afford the real thing...

Most recently, I've enjoyed a trip beginning at Turbulent's very nice interpretation of Angwin Parrett (2O3) -- where I went to high school -- cruising over the hills to Santa Rosa (KSTS) where I worked for several years -- and then up the coast stopping in at several little ORBX gems along the way.  Places I'm at least quite familiar with the areas of, if not the actual airports.  Most of that trip was spent in Ant's Technam Eaglet.  Then yesterday, I spent a good deal of time exploring the stunning new Innsbruck release in the Milviz MD-503.  (That's a nice craft to loiter around POIs in at some of these richly detailed packages as they are released!  Especially in VR!!  )

 

I spend by far most of my time flying in A2A's Comanche -- outstanding aircraft!  I have, and enjoy, all of A2A's GA offerings.  I probably have close to 1,000 hours in their delightful cub.  Lately I've been spending quite a lot of time in the AustFlight Drifter -- also by Ants -- mostly because it is the closest thing I can find to my Phantom.  

 

Thanks again Sniper for sparking this particular conversation!

[Drizzle]

On 2/9/2017 at 10:55 AM, RetiredFE said:

Fly Orbx Northern California and thoroughly enjoying it.

 

 

That C195 is such a lovely craft!  And The City by the Bay is so dear to my heart, being my 'home city' throughout my teen years spent growing up just a few miles North...  

[Sniper31]

14 minutes ago, Drizzle said:

Thanks again Sniper for sparking this particular conversation!

Of course Drizzle, my pleasure! It has been enjoyable listening to everyone's comments, stories and experiences. Thank you for keeping the thread alive